Finance healthcare Success Stories

This Miami healthcare company is changing lives, and SBDC at FIU helped it get funding to grow

Gilad and Anabelle Savion founded Lavior Pharma in 2010 to treat severe skincare issues. Their mission was to create a natural product without side effects, one that would address the root cause of skincare issues and change people’s lives, while also being accessible and affordable for their customers who suffer from chronic skin diseases, includinge people with diabetes and elderly populations.

“For me, as a scientist, I see the immune system as a perfect machine designed to combat any disease, virus, or bacteria. However, due to factors like nutrition and climate, the immune system often faces challenges, leading to diseases like diabetes,” says Gilad, Lavior’s CEO. The Miami-based company focuses on diabetes because high glucose levels in the blood impair circulation, causing small scratches to turn into ulcers and eventually amputations.

Yet, despite many companies serving this $50 billion industry, there is a lack of effective solutions. “That’s why Lavior was founded: to provide a solution for chronic and infected skincare issues like eczema, psoriasis, bed sores, venous ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, and post-surgery complications,” says Gilad, a serial entrepreneur and executive with vast experience in the pharmaceutical, construction, cybersecurity, and software industries.

The Lavior team spent seven years breeding a plant, Inula viscosa, which has historical significance for its healing properties, and developed their own species for their line of creams and gels that supports the immune system and addresses inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling stages of healing. It is the only natural pharmaceutical product in the world clinically proven in FDA trials to move chronic wounds from the inflammatory stage to healing in just three weeks, Gilad says.

The inspiration to keep going

Early on, the product helped a 7-year old boy with Type 1 diabetes and an ulcer on his foot so large he was heading to amputation. “I remember the first time I saw him I was so skeptical because I didn’t really know that I could help him,” Gilad says. “Long story short, this child returned to my home six weeks later running and jumping… That gave me so much happiness and gave me the passion to keep doing what I’m doing.”

“At Lavior, we aim to make a positive impact, prevent amputations, and improve the quality of life for our patients,” adds Anabelle, his wife and Lavior’s Managing Director. She has an extensive background in marketing and international business and previously helped build a medical device company.

In the United States, the FDA-registered product line, covered by Medicare and Medicaid, is sold in Walmart, and now is expanding to other retailers too. Lavior’s other business unit sells to major healthcare providers, such as hospitals and nursing homes, and distributors across the U.S. “If there’s anyone who can’t afford our products, we’re committed to providing them for free. We have a strong sense of social responsibility, and we donate our products to organizations like Camillus House and others in need,” Gilad says.

Seeking growth funding, the Savions sought assistance from the team at Florida SBDC at FIU, the small business development center within the university’s College of Business that offers no-cost consulting to small businesses in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. They were paired with Ray Juncosa, an SBDC at FIU business consultant and former banking executive who specializes in finance and access to capital.

Getting funding to grow

“Ray conducted a thorough risk analysis and helped us navigate financial decisions, ultimately boosting our confidence and helping us find the right path for growth. His involvement has been pivotal in our process,” says Gilad. “We were surprised by the level of professionalism and care from the SBDC team,” adds Anabelle.

Gilad said they were originally thinking about pursuing raising funding via the Nasdaq, but Ray convinced them to pursue an SBA loan first. Ray believed they would be good candidates. “They’re incredible,” Ray said about the Savions. “They are organized and have a clear understanding of their numbers and financials.”

Still, the SBA loan process is not easy, particularly in the healthcare space. “It’s an honorable thing that they’re doing, but it’s a business that has a high burn rate,” explains Ray. What’s more, a lot of lenders shy away from relatively new companies. Because Lavior is in the healthcare space, years of time and a lot of effort and personal savings went into intense research and development before they started selling anything on the market.

But Ray said their qualifications ticked off all the important boxes. Gilad had built other successful ventures, so that helped. They had strong industry experience – check. The company was growing, and they were adding contracts at a healthy pace. They also made a strong case through their projections. And also very important for a strong application: their financials were organized and complete – “in great shape,” Ray says.

Ray worked with them to put together the application package, a process that takes months, but it paid off. The result: Lavior received a $5 million SBA loan to grow their impactful business that currently employs 25 people in the US and Israel.

International growth and more 

What’s next for Lavior? Gilad said international growth will be a priority, along with extending their line of products and improving the education around their products. Longer term, he said, “I am planning to do some very important joint ventures in order to always be able to be accessible and affordable for my patients.”

Ray plans to continue helping the Savions, such as assisting them with accessing future equity funding and growth strategy. As Lavior’s owners take their company to the next level, Ray and the SBDC team, with 21 consultants providing expertise in dozens of specialty areas from business research, growth strategy and strategic planning to marketing, sales and human resources, are ready to assist them.

When Gilad was asked about his advice for other entrepreneurs, he said it’s all about persistence. “Being an entrepreneur requires resilience, as you’ll face countless rejections. It’s also essential to build a strong team, use effective tools, and stay organized. Make sure you prioritize market needs over personal preferences. Lastly, never stop learning and be open to feedback.”

“Use the best tools available,” adds Anabelle, including resources like SBDC at FIU. “Success is not easy — it’s the result of learning from failures and continuously improving.”

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Company: Lavior Pharma

Website: https://lavior.com

Social Media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laviorpharma/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laviorpharma

X: https://x.com/laviorpharma

YouTube: @laviorpharma

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laviorpharma

 

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